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Aug 26 Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2019

I’ve seen a few creators that I watch on YouTube do the Mid Year Book Freak Out tag, so I thought it would be fun to reflect on my reading from the first half of 2019. I know that we’re well over halfway through the year, but I still wanted to take a crack at it. This tag was created by Chami and Ely from YouTube, and there are 13 questions total. Let’s get into the books and freak out about the year so far.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I haven’t finished Dark Age quite yet, so this may change, but the best book that I’ve read so far in 2019 is Daisy Jones and the Six. The main reason why I would say that this is the best book I’ve read so far this year is that the way the story is told is unique, and there were many times while reading this book that I thought it was about real people.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

I haven’t read many sequels this year, but my favourite sequel would hands-down be Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I love the whole 1920s setting and the paranormal aspects of the book. The characters are also super entertaining, and their storylines are expanded and starting to weave together in ways that makes you curious about where they will go in the rest of the series.

Overall, this was a solid second book in a series, and if you haven’t read The Diviners, you should totally put it on your TBR!

3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to

In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

I’m a huge fan of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, and I’m more surprised than anything that I haven’t picked up In An Absent Dream yet. The books in this series are all short and whimsical, which makes them the perfect escape for a little cozy time on the couch. So this is definitely a book that I want to try and prioritize in the last few months of the year.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

For this question, the answer has to be Wayward Son. This is the sequel that we never saw coming when Rainbow Rowell announced it around the time of Book Con 2018. I adoredCarry On—it had the nostalgic Harry Potter vibe, and the relationships that develop are the cutest. Carry On didn’t have much of an open ending, so I’m excited to see where this story progresses.

5. Biggest disappointment

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio

This is absolutely not a dig at Again, but Better—I did still enjoy reading it—but I wanted more from this book than what was on the page. I had trouble believing the conflict because obstacles were overcome too easily. There was also a plot point that was used that felt kind of out of the blue, and it didn’t make sense based on how it was presented earlier in the book.

Overall, there were still many cute moments in the book, and I gave it 3 out of 5 stars, so it was by no means an unenjoyable read. I was just a little bit disappointed.

6. Biggest surprise

Foe by Iain Reid

Foe was definitely the biggest surprise for me this year so far! I don’t typically read books in this genre, but I ended up picking this book up because I was selling it at a Vancouver Writer’s Festival event. I couldn’t put this book down, and I was intrigued by the characters and the mystery of the story. A majority of the books takes place in a house in the middle of nowhere, so this story depends on its characters and I felt like this came across well in the story. I may be a bit biased because I love character-driven stories.

7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones and the Six)

I read Daisy Jones and the Six and I absolutely loved it. I’ve only heard good things about Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing and her two books. The characters in Daisy Jones and the Six felt real, and Taylor Jenkins Reid touches on a lot of important topics, such as addiction and how complicated fame and working relationships in the music industry can be. I’m interested in seeing how The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo compares because so far, Taylor Jenkins Reid is definitely a new favourite author.

8. New fictional crush

Memphis from The Diviners by Libba Bray

There haven’t been many stand-out crushable characters from the books that I’ve read this year, so I’m going to go with Memphis from The Diviners. He’s really sweet to Theta, so I think that makes him a crushable character.

9. New favourite character

Bri from On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

On the Come Upwas definitely one of my favourite books, so far this year and Bri has also quickly become one of my new favourite characters as well. Her passion for rap shines through the page, and I loved experiencing her performances from her perspective. Although she isn’t a perfect character, she has a big heart, and that’s probably one of my favourite things about her.

10. Book that made you cry

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I haven’t finished Dark Age yet, but it has already made me cry. I can’t say why because it would be a spoiler, but Pierce Brown is skilled at destroying your feelings with how much you care about the characters in the Red Rising series.

11. Book that made you happy

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

This would be no surprise to anyone who knows me, but reading The Red Scrolls of Magicmade me really happy because of Malec. They have been one of my OTPs ever since I’ve read City of Bones, and I loved having an entire book that focused on them. So, of course, this book made me happy!

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

I honestly can’t remember which books I bought so far this year and which ones were from the tail end of last year, but I would have to say Black Leopard, Red Wolf has a gorgeous cover. I also really need to pick this book back up because I was enjoying it and can’t remember why I put it down.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Children of Blood and Bonehas been on my TBR since it came out, but I haven’t gotten around to it. I’m not sure why, and I’m honestly a little embarrassed with myself. With the next book in the series coming out in December, I definitely need to prioritize Children of Blood and Bone.

That’s all for this year’s Book Freak Out! What’s the best book that you’ve read in 2019 so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, have a lovely rest of your day and read something awesome!